February 2012
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“There is nothing so conservative as a child, especially a girl-child.”
– Humbert Humbert, Lolita. Also realized by Tumblr after publishing their new posting icons.
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Don't Call Us Heathen
In October, I wrote in The Tangential about my past involvement with organizations styling themselves “Humanist” (translation: we don’t believe in God, but that doesn’t mean we’re assholes). I’m still on the Harvard Humanist Alumni e-mail list, and the group’s leaders recently decided to survey us about what terms we use to describe our faithlessness....
Watchkatieheaney:
My friend Bri and I have a thing for Bigfoot.
I don’t remember how it started but somehow in college we got onto this Yeti/Bigfoot thing and every time we went to the library we couldn’t stop talking about him (them?). One Halloween we were even going to go as a paranormal investigator (me) and Yeti (her), but Bri’s grandma wasn’t cool with her fur coat being utilized in that...
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“She used to be a pro wrestler, and then she was on ‘Dancing with the...”
– my sister Julia
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phiLOLZophy: Tumblr is Wrong for Censoring Eating... →
I haven’t studied or experienced eating disorders, so I’ll tread cautiously in anything I say about this issue—but I have studied media and society, and from that perspective I appreciate the suggestion that the way people interact with media is complex, and the effects of media aren’t always what they seem to “obviously” be. This is a tricky case, because these...
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Me, in Vita.mn: Halley and I joined our friends for a special pirate-themed trivia competition run by Trivia Mafia. There was a booty round (Kardashian, Lopez, etc.) and an ARR round...I'm ashamed to say we missed the question about the second-highest-paid female entertainer of the mid-1990s.
Commenter: Was it Whitney Houston?
“Hello there Monsters, Mothers, and Machines—that was a reference to the faculty...”
– Out at the suburban technical-college campus where I sometimes teach, they seem to be getting a little cabin fever.
Zona Nada Chatta (n.)
The space in the coffee shop where you’re standing far enough away from the counter that you can look at the menu without the barista asking whether you prefer floral notes or a chocolate aftertaste.
The New Inquiry: Look What You Did, You Little... →
Dig the retro poster.
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“Parsons died of a stroke on May 8, 1979 in Munich while on a trip to Germany,...”
– I’m starting to research Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills for the play I’m writing about them; I figured no one would care if I slipped on a few details. Parsons’s Wikipedia page suggests that, even if no one else would, Leon Mayhew and Horst J. Helle would care quite a bit.
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My Fringe show: Ivory Tower Burning
Ivory Tower Burning is the name of a new play I’ll be writing and presenting at the 2012 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Hope to see you there! Here’s an FAQ (by which I mean “FA”Q) about the project.
Q: What does it mean to present a play at the Minnesota Fringe Festival? A: The Fringe Festival is an 11-day festival of performing arts. Producers who have shows in the Fringe are provided with a...
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“If you need photos, just let me know.”
– Maybe it’s to do with photographers being protective of their copyright, but publicists like to guard press photos on their hard drives and make journalists ask for them via e-mail, instead of posting them on a website where we can go get the photos when we need them. When I get this line in...
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“We have a government that says it’s okay to eat Twinkies and Cocoa Puffs and...”
– From sustainable farmer Joel Salatin. Quote captured by Amy Eddings on WNYC Culture blog. (via newanddifferentsun)
I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to go ahead and say that I’m on #teamgovernment with this one.
“Opening for Marina and the Diamonds were the frankly forgettable Young the...”
– Me, in 2010. Young the Giant are about to sell out First Ave, and I don’t get it. Is it all about that ass?
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The Tangential: What Your Parents’ Favorite... →
My parents’ favorite mainstream restaurant was Poppin Fresh (now Bakers Square)—back when, as Dad puts it, “we didn’t have kids, and twenties were falling out of our pockets!”
thetangential:
Olive Garden: You secretly love Olive Garden, going there regularly with your similar friends ironically and making the waiter be like “who the hell are these patronizing, giggly...
This increasing desire to buy merch while standing by the merch table reminds me of when I worked at the Disney Store and came to own a 101 Dalmatians long-sleeve tee.
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Oy Vey
Dad: [answers phone] Hello?
Me: Hi, Dad.
Dad: Oh ho! How's the VISIONARY?!
Me: Fine. Say, if I biked over, could I get a ride to Betsy's for the party?
Dad: Of course! The house is always open to VISIONARIES!
“Our baby, [Name Name Name Name], joined us on Feb. 4th at 5:55pm, weighing 6 lbs...”
– When PhDs have children. (via e-mail from a grad school classmate)
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“Kennedy pulled down his pants but, with his shirt still on, hovered above her on...”
– It’s emerged that my signature scent is the same one that JFK wore when he deflowered teenage interns. (This news comes via, somewhat awkwardly, my dad.)
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How I Use Pinterest
Party A: [pins elaborate craft project]
Me: [repins elaborate craft project, adds sarcastic comment]
Party B: [repins elaborate craft project, deletes sarcastic comment]
